Monthly Archives: February 2013

Have you ever worked on a project that would benefit from data from your customer feedback program and not been able to obtain the information or find out who has it? I bet it happens more times than not and you are not alone. Customer feedback data is generally housed in one or two departments within an organization and those departments rarely share this data enterprise wide unless a request is received. Just think how much more efficient your organization would be if customer feedback is on a shared enterprise platform where designated individuals from each department can access feedback to make strategic decisions in a shorter period of time. Review the capabilities of existing vendors helping your organization obtain and report on customer feedback and whether or not the information can be delivered using technology, or an Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) system versus distributing the information via an email or hard copy reports. If your current vendors do not provide a seamless process of driving customer feedback results enterprise wide, I suggest you look for a new vendor so you can continue to maintain market share…because your competitors are looking at this strategy right now.

In the contact center space there are a lot of statistics being monitored, and those generally focus on KPI’s of the call agent.

What about the feedback from customers? Is this an area that is receiving enough attention? Typically the “C” suite views customer feedback as an expense versus how it can drive additional revenue. Why else would they not invest in a tool for gathering and reporting customer feedback?

Whether you have a contact center internally or you outsource inbound and outbound calls or you are a contact center providing services to a client, one of your top priorities should be monitoring what customers are saying regarding their interactions with your organization.

Saying you are a good contact center is one thing, but proving it with hard numbers is another. Too many outsourcers believe that if customer feedback is to be collected, it will be implemented by the client. Think about how, if you had third party data giving you insight into what the customer thinks can be useful in winning new business. If you are outsourcing call functions, don’t you want to know how your customers are being treated on the phone related to their particular issues? I am surprised more companies that outsource call functions do not have a clause in their contract that if the customer feedback being received shows below minimum acceptable levels, that you have “X” days to bring that score(s) up or you lose the contract.

We have talked to a lot of organizations who are in various stages of maturity when it comes to their VOC program. One of the critical reasons for VOC programs to falter is the feedback from customers is not shared enterprise wide. Too often, customer feedback is kept inside the department or division that implemented the collection process of feedback. Doing so puts the entire organization at a disadvantage. If you want your VOC program to be successful and maximize the ROI, share your customer feedback enterprise wide. You will be amazed how many areas of your organization can leverage customer feedback to improve profits.